Improvement in corn-planters



NPUERS, FHOTOMTNDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C,

ANDREW RUNSTETLE'R ,OF PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

Leners Patent No. 88,812, (lated April 13, 1869. 4

INEPROVEMNT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW RUNSTETLER, of the city and county of Peoria, in the Stateof Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corn-Plauters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a perspective view` Figure 2 is an end elevation.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of cut-ofi` and slide on the line a c of fig: 5.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of cut-off and teeth.

Figure 5 is a plan view of cut-off with gauge inserted.

Figure 6 is an under side view of' lower plate of cntotl.

Figure '1' is a transverse section of teeth of cut-o closing the holes in the slide.

Figure 8 is alongitudinal section of cut-off, showing its upper. and lower plates through the red lines a a a t of tig. 5.

Like letters in the ligures of the drawings indicate like parts.

This cut-off is composed of two pieces of cast-iron, about one foot long and four incheswide, the upper oneA, fig. 4, being bolted to the connecting bar which connects both cut-offs, and to which the lever of machine is attached.

The upper piece A is about one-fourth of an inch thick, and has an oblong perforation about six inches long and two and a half inches wide through the middie, with two teeth, (t a, projecting from each side of it, and opposite each other, designed for cutting oil` the supply of corn to shank, and large enough to cover corresponding holes in the gauged slide G D, over which they pass.

These teethslpresent a concave edge to the corn, the upper edge sloping also downwards and inwards, and then curving into a concavity running the whole length of the teeth, of the same diameter as the hole beneath. (See prole of teeth at a, iig. 8, a'nd transverse section a fur. 7.)

7 A? the distance o'f one-fourth inch below the plate A, just described, and to which the latter is bolted, but kept at a proper distance by lugs at the four corners, and at each side p p, is another iron plate, B, oi' the same size and thickness as the upper one, and has a hole, J K, for passage of corn, about three-fourths otan inch in diameter, opposite and under each ofthe teeth.

There are also two slots, g h, cut in this plate, running from each end, and leaving a space between 'the inner ends of about three or four inches.

These slots admit the legs h h, uniting the two pieces D E of the shank, another slot, t fi, not perforating the plate, running obliquely across the centre of same between the corn-holes J K. K

This slot admits pin at the upper end of reversible valve G, and gives it motion.

The cutoff being now described, I will proceed to the slide or adjustable gauge composed of two pieces, C D, which are insertedbetween the plates composing cut-off. .f

This gauge is madel in the common manner and simply1 provided with correspondingholes b f for passage of corn, and with a slide, C, with two arms d d, running along slots, and stretching up to the holes j ust mentioned, so as to be used in `the regulation of the number of grains to be dropped.

This slide is kept at one-fourth inch distance above the iron box F, to which shank of' runner E is attached by blocks, through .which the parts are bolted together. p

In the shankof runner is an iron valve or square plate, G, capable of closing the passage of the corn, and whose airis lies lengthwise of the apparatus or parallel with the front of the planter, and in the runner-shank at n.

enters the slot t t' above described, the reciprocating motion of the cut-o throwing the valve from side to side of the shank, or rather in a motion from front to rear of machine, or in a contrary direction from al1 other valves ofthe kind now used with what is called the straight slide.

The operation of this device is as follows:

The reciprocating motion of the cut-off A B, communicated thereto by the connecting bar and lever,A opens, alternately, each hole b f in the slide D beneath, where it is momentarily retained on the surface of the lower plate B of cut-off until one of the holes therein lets it fall on to the. valve Gr, where it is intercepted by the shelf at the bottom of valve, and then finally dropped to the ground; all lthis in order to prevent too much scattering of seed. The corn passes om the holeVA on one side of slide, and shoots down incline of valve over to the opposite side of shank at each reverse of valve.

I claim the construction of the edge of teeth so that they present a concave edge, m, commencing at upper surface of teeth and receding downwards until they curve into a hollow in the thickness of teeth, which hollow extends to nearly the rear of the teeth, as in the profile a and m,'fig. S, allows the tooth to cut ofi' either on the tooth or in the hole in which a grain might be nipped. The hollowalso on under side of each tooth allows the same to pass freely over the retained corn.

Having thus fully described myinvention, What I claim therein as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

This valve has a pin or leg on its upper edge which without destroying seed, and presenting no corners,

1 The adjustable slide D, combined with movable or reciprocating ont-off, the latter made in two partez one A above, with teeth a a, the other below the slide As evidence that I claim the foregoing, I have here- D, and having the holes for dropping corn into runner unto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses. opposite and under the teeth, substantially as de- Witnesses: ANDREW RUNSTETLER. scribed. E. THURLOW,

the oblique slot i i, substantially in the manner and for the purpose as herein set forth.

2. The valve G, as arranged in combination with J. M. COCHRAN. 

